We recently connected with Julia Malone and have shared our conversation below.

Julia , thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. We’d love to hear the backstory of how you established your own practice.

It has been such an adventure. We moved to a new city and I wanted to put some roots down and do what I love. I didn’t know if I could actually do it all since I had no knowledge of how to start or run a business. I started small, read tons of articles, networked with other private practice owners, and talked to trusted colleagues about their experiences. There were times where I felt like it was all too much and didn’t know how or why I was doing this with a super busy Marine spouse and 3 young kids. I just knew that I wanted this forever and I wasn’t going to give up. I held on to believing in myself even in the unsure times and I am so damn proud of what I have built.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

Thank you so much for being here. I am Julia Malone, founder and therapist of Balance and Bloom Therapy. I have gravitated towards a helping profession since I was young and have had an idea I wanted this career since I was in high school. It was a smooth transition into my BA in Psychology and then into my MA in Marriage and Family Therapy that all just felt aligned with who I am. I’ve worked in community mental health, schools, private practices, sex offender treatment programs, and domestic violence military treatment programs and they have all added to the wide base of knowledge I have, specifically with trauma.
I wanted to create a practice that was trauma informed, inclusive, and modern. A place for individuals to come as they are, meet me in an authentic way, and work side by side through the hardships, pain, and beauty of healing.
I’m drawn to working with anxious individuals and couples who have experienced complex trauma and attachment wounds with their caregivers. Those who are people pleasers, perfectionists, and over achievers. I help couples work through their past and communication barriers so they understand and know each other deeply. I love working with the queer community and military community and have lived experience in both. It is a true honor to know my clients deeply and be trusted to walk with them in this journey and I truly believe that once you find balance, you bloom.

Any stories or insights that might help us understand how you’ve built such a strong reputation?

I have been really intentional about showing up as my authentic self. I’m a modern therapist that values transparency, connection, and cussing in session. You get to be you and I get to be me and we meet professionally in the middle. I’ve been focusing on networking with other private practice owners who share a similar approach. I’ve been showing up on Instagram with some humor, education, and relatable content that reflects who I am as a therapist.

We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?

Growing up, I was a mediator to my friends and family, a listening ear, and a “fixer” by nature. I wanted to help and make people happy, it’s what I was good at and brought me purpose. So, “college me” goes into this profession wanting to help/fix people. Grad school had other ideas for me. During my graduate studies and therapist internship work, I realized that the process of therapy has nothing to do with “fixing”. Therapy is about being. Being with them in the thick of their sadness, anger, pain, and suffering. Being with them and supporting them as they make tough decisions and change patterns of thinking and behaving. Being along side as they come back home to themselves. It was never about fixing. It is about being present, seeing my clients for who they are and what they are going through and reminding them they are not alone.

Contact Info:

• Website: Www.Balanceandbloomtherapy.com
• Instagram: Www.instagram.com/balance.and.bloom

Image Credits
Briana Vargas